Amusement machine



my my '3933, J. F. MEYER AMUSEMENT MACHINE July 11, 1933. y J. F. MEYER AMUSEMENT MACHINE Filed Aug. 25. 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 July l1, 1933. RMEYER AMUSEMENT MACHINE Filed Aug. 25. 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented July Y11, 1933 y i UNITED ls'rzirss PATENT- oFFIcfE i JOHN F. MEYER,Y OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA AMUSEMENT MACHINE Application meti august 25, 1930. ser1a1 No. evt/,1196.v

l indicia associated with the operated indicat- 57 ing device,- and which will be simple and economical in constructlon and positive and eiiicient 1n operation.

A further object of the invention is to pro-V vide a coin control for a machine of the above tion of the machine will be prevented until a coin is inserted, but wherein movement of manually operated parts will not be prevented even though no coin is inserted, and in which. the coin will be discharged into a receptacle after each operation so that but one operation will be afforded by each inserted coin.

A selected embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accom} ianying drawings, and therein Fig. 1 isa front elevation of a machine embodying one form of the invention;

F ig. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken substantially on the line 2--2 on Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a detail view, partly in elevation and partly in section and drawn to an enlarged scale, depicting the operating mech` anisms;

Fig. 4 is a top plan View of the device illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 5 5 on Fig. 3; y

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 on Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on the line 7-7 on Fig. 4; and

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic View showing the electrical connections.

.'lxhe selected embodiment of the invention,

described character, so arranged that opera' as shown in the drawings, includes a cabinet 9 comprising an upper compartment 10 and alower compartment 11. The front of the loW-` er compartment 11 is closed by a; removable panel l2reta1ned 1n position by a suitable lock 13 or other securmg'devlce, removal of Ythe panel l2 affording access into the coinpartmentll. The front of the upperY com-- pertinent 10 is closed by a transparent plate 14, and arranged 1n the compartment 10in'- wardly of the transparent plate 14, is a plate 15 which has rounded end portions extend' ing from the front corners of" the compartment 10 and Which has an intermediate portion that extends substantially parallel with, but spaced from, the transparent plate 1l. On one of the curved end walls of the plate 15 a plurality'ot indicating .devices are arranged, and in the present instance these indicating devices are in the form of lamps 41G removably mounted in sockets 17 carried by the plate 15. It is 'to be understood that indicating devices,such as pointers or the like, might be substituted for the lamps 16. In the present instance, indicia is associated with each of the lampsV 16, said-lamps being arranged in vertical alignment, and the indicia is horizontally aligned With the lamps 16 said indicia also being arranged on the plate 15 and being disposed intermediate the rounded end portions thereof. It desired, additional indicia Vmay be' horizontally aligned with the indicia 17, and in the present instance a plurality of ve 'tically aligned rectangles 18 are shown. ln theserectangles 18,

pictorial representations or the like may be' provided, and preferably the indicia arf ranged in the rectangles 18 will have direct relation with the indicia 17 with which they are aligned. By reason of the fact that the plate 14 is transparent, it is manifestr that the indicating devices and the indiciaW'ill be in plain view and, therefore, operation of one of the indicating devices may be used to direct attentionto the indicia associated therewith.

Various types of devices may be provided to bring about operation of the indicating dea coin`-controlled manually-operable arrangement which includes portions that will sequentially close an electric circuit to the indicating devices. rlhis arrangement is mounted in the compartment 11. As best illustrated in Fig. 2, the compartment 10 is narrower than the compartment 11, and thus a shelf portion 19 is provided on the upper surface of the compartment l1. A bracket 2O is mounted on this shelf portion, which includes a grip 2l. A movable grip 22 is pro# vided, which is pivotally mounted at 23 on the bracket 20, and the grips 21 and 22 are` so disposed that when embraced by the operators hand the grip 22 may be moved toward the grip 2l. Unitary with the grip 22 is a depending tail portion 23, and rigidly con neeted with the tail portion 23 is a connecting link 24. A supporting` bracket 25 is provided in the compartment l1, and mounted on the bracket 25 in spaced relation therewith is a supporting plate 26 on which the operating devices are mounted. As stated, the device is preferably coin-controlled and I, therefore, provide a coin chute 27 which opens through the shelf 19 and which includes an entrance 28. A stud 29 is provided on the supporting plate 26, and pivotally mounted thereon is a rocker, generally indicated by 30. The rocker 30 includes depending arm 3l, and the free end of the 3l is connected with the free end of the link 24 by a link 32, which is pivotally connected to said free ends. Unitary with the rocker 30 is a coin receiving member, generally indicated by 33, the upper end 34 of which is aligned with the lower end of the coin chute 27. The coin-receiving portion includes an areuated portion 35, the lower end of which is bifurcated, as indicated at 36. A coin may be inserted into the coin chute 27, through the entrance 28, and said coin passes through the chute and ont the lower end thereof onto the upper end 34 of the coinreceiving member 33. and said coin passes over the arcuated portion 35 and movement thereof is arrested .sov that the coin will be disposed above the bifurcation 36. A coin disposed in this position is shown in Fig. 3 and is indicated by 37. A stud 38 is provided on the horizontally disposed slide bar 39 which has slots 40 therein through which screws 4l are extended, said screws being securedin the supporting plate 26. A rocker, generally indicated by 42, is rotatably mounted on the shaft 43, journaled in suitable bearings and freely extended through the bracket 25 to eX- tend on both sides thereof. The rocker 42 includes a leg 44 having a nose portion 45 which, when the parts are in inoperative position, is disposed above the coin 37 abutting the stud 38. Then the grip 21 is moved toward the grip 22, the tail portion 23 and the link 24 are moved2 and this `movement is transmitted through the link 32 to move the arm 31 in a. counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3. Such movement ofthe arm 3l, which is a unitary p art of the rocker 30, causes the coin-receiving memberv 33 on said rocker to move upwardly from the full-line position, shown in Fig. 3, to the dotted-line position, in said figure. By reason of the fact that nose portion 45 is disposed above,

and aligned with, the coin 37 abutting theV stud 38, it is manifest that the nose 45 and, therefore, the leg 44 will be moved, and said parts will be moved from the full-line position of Fig. 3 into the dotted-line position of said figure. The nose 45 is aligned with the bifurcation 36 and, therefore, should the grip 22 be moved toward the grip 2l when no coin has been inserted into the chute 27, it is manifest that the arcuate portion of the coinreceiving member will move past the nose 45, which nosewill then be disposed in the bifurcation 36, and thus no movement will be imparted to said nose. On the supporting plate 26 is a lug 46, and pivotally mounted thereon Y is the medial portion of a lever 47, which includes a hook portion 48. On the leg 44, in wardly of the nose 45, is a lug 49 and when the nose 45 and consequently the leg 44 moves, as above set forth, the lug 49 engages and rests on the lhook portion 48. The hook portion 48 is moved into position to be engaged by the lug by a spring 50 extended between the lever 47 and the plate 26. On the end of the lever 47, opposite the hook portion 48, is a toe 5l, and when the parts are in inoperative positionthis toe bears against the side of the arcuate portion 35 of the coin-receiving member 33, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 6. But when the portion 35 moves upwardly, as above described, said toe ldisengages the portion 35 and, therefore, the hook portion 48 will move into position to be engaged by the lug 49. Seating of the lug 49 on the hook portion 48 latches the leg 44 and, therefore, the rocker 42 in the dotted-line position of Fig. 3. Formed as a part of the rocker 42 and depending from the leg 44 is an arm 52 which is extended between pins 53 and 54 on the slide bar 39. Vhen the rocker 42 is moved, as above described, the slide bar 39 is moved by the engagement of the arm 52 with the pin 54 and, therefore, the stud 38 will be moved from the full-line position of Fig. 3 into the dottedline position thereon, When the, grip 22 is released, the spring 55, extended between the lower surface of the coin-receiving member 33 and the plate 26, will return the rocker 30 to the full-line position of Fig. 3. The stud 38 will have been moved suliiciently that it will be disposed in the path of the bifurcation 36 and will move into said bifurcation when the portion 35 resumes aninoperative position, the inoperative position of said portion 35 being determined byy the stopV screw 56 mounted in the lug 57 carried by the plate 2,6. On the rocker 42 is an arm 5 8 at the outer end of which a pawl 59 is pivot-ally mounted, which pawl is urged into engagement with direction.

y scribed, said pawl engages one of the teeth of the ratchet and imparts rotary movement thereto, which is transmitted to the shaft 43. Mounted on the bearing bracket 62, that is carried by the plate 26 and which provides a bearing for one end of the shaft 43, is a. pawl 63 that is urged into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 60 by a spring 64, and this pawl acts as a retaining pawl and permits movement of the ratchet 60 in but one Mounted on the bracket 62 is a block 65 formed of insulating material, to which corresponding ends of spring contact arms 66 and 67 are fixed, and said spring contact arms are normally spaced apart, as illustrated in full lines in Fig. 3. Secured to rocker 42 is an arm 68 having a nose 69 at the outer end thereof, and when said rocker is moved in the manner above described, the arm 68 moves into the dotted-line position of Fig. 3, and the nose 69 engages the contact arm 66 to force said contact arm into engagement wit-h the contact arm 67. A plate 7 O is supported on the bracket in spaced relation therewith on the side thereof opposite the 1 plate 26, and the shaft 43 is extended through the center of this plate 70. Fixed on the shaft 43, adjacent the plate 70, is a collar 71 carrying a wiper arm 72. Mounted on the plate 70, in circular arrangement about the shaft 43,

j are a plurality of contacts 73 arranged in spaced relation and which are disposed to be successively engaged by the free end of the wiper arm 72. It has been pointed out that movement is imparted to the ratchet 60 by the pawl 59 and that the ratchet 60 is fixed on the shaft 43 and thus the shaft 43 is moved when the ratchet 60 is moved. Thus, the wiper arm 72 is moved with the shaft 43, and the magnitude of this movement is sufficient f L to move the end of the wiper arm 72 from moved toward the grip 2l to move the rocker 30, the rocker 42 will be moved into the dotted-line position of Fig. 3 and, as above described, said rocker 42 will be latched in this position. It has been pointed out that this movement of the rocker 42 moves the wiper arm 72 from engagement with one of the contact screws 73 into engagement with another of said contact screws. At the time the rocker 42 is moved, the contact arms 66 and 67 are engaged and thus, in a manner to be described, an electric circuit is closed to one of the indicating devices 16, and the operated indicating device is the one connected to the contact screw 73 that is engaged by the wiper arm 72 as a result of the above described movement. It has been pointed out that the rocker is returned to the fullline position of Fig. 3 by the spring 55, when the grip 22 is released. During this return movement the arcuated portion of the rocker` 30 will engage the cam surface 7 4 on the lever 47 adjacent the toe 51, for this cam surface will have been moved into the path of the portion 35 by the spring 50. Vhen the portion 35 engages this cam surface 74, the

lever 47 is pivoted and the hook portion 48 is disengaged from the lug 49. A spring 75 extends between the rocker 42 and the bearing bracket 62, and when the hook portion 48 vdisengages the lug 49, this spring 75 returns the rocker to the full-line position of Fig. 3, and the arm 52 thereof engages the pin 53 to move the slide bar 39. The coin which will have been rested on the upper tapered. surface of the stud 38 will be forced from the end of the arcuated portion 35 and will be forced into the coin-collecting funnel 76, carried by the bracket 25. rThe coin will pass out through the discharge tube 77 of this funnel into the coin-receiving box 78 arranged near f' cuated portion 35 in a horizontal manner, and

to prevent displacement ofthe coin from this portion a retaining plate79 is arranged over the upper surface of the arcuated p rtion 35, which portion is trough-shaped.

It has been pointed out that an electric circuit is closed to one of the indicating devices 16 uponeach operation of the machine, and this is brought about in the following manner.v Connected to each' of the lindicating devices or lamps 16 are conductors 86and 31. The conductor 80 of each of the lamps 16 is connected to one'of the line wires 32. 'The other line wire 83 isV connected to the spring contact 67. A conductor 84 is connected to the contact 66 and to the wiper arm 72. ln the present instance I have provided more contacts 73 than indicating devices 16, for I have found it advantageous to operate certain of the indicating devices more frequently than other of the indicating devices. Each of the conductors 81 of the lamps 16 are connected to one of the contacts 73 by a conductor 85, but since t ere are more contacts 7 3 than indicating devices 16, the contacts 73 not having a conductor 85 connect-cd thereto have a cross-conductor 86 connected therewit and this conductor 86 is connected to another of the contacts 73 to which one of the conductors 85 is connected. Thus, when the device is operated in the manner previously described, the wiper arm 72 is moved into engagement with oneof the contacts 73, and the contacts 66 and 67 are simultaneously engaged and thus a circuit is closed from line wire 83, through spring contact 67, spring contact 66, conductor 84, wiper arm 72, a contact 73, a conductor 85, a conductor 81, a lamp 16, a conductor 80, to the line wire 82. As soon as the rocker 42 starts to move toward inoperative position, the nose 69 disengages the spring contact 66, and by reason of the innate resiliency of these spring contacts separation thereof will follow, and thus the circuit will be opened and the indicating device 1G, which has been rendered operative, will again become inoperative. In the present instance, the device is arranged so that .the wiper arm 72 moves from engagement with one of the contacts 73 into engagement with a succeeding Contact 73. It should be noted, however, that the contacts 73 are not connected to the indicating devices 1G in the same order as the arrangement of said indicating devices. Thus, on the next operation of the machine, anindicating device, spaced from the first indicating device, will be operated, although it is to be understood that this need not necessarily be done, but I have found that this enhances the entertaining properties of the device. Further, a more complicated sequence of operation may be provided; for example, an uneven number of contacts 73 may be provided and the wiper z 'm may be caused to move past the juxtaposed contact into engagement with the next of the contacts; that is, the wiper arm will engage altornate contacts, and in this manner a corresponding repetitions operation will occur with a frequency equal to the number of contacts. That is to say, if nine contacts 73 are provided, every ninth complete rotation of arm 72 will cause identical operation of the indicating devices 16. It is apparent that if a greater or less number of contacts are provided the repetitions operation will be altered accordingly.

In the foregoing description I have described a coin-controlled machine which will not be rendered operable until a coin has been inserted therein, and the device is so arranged that the portions directly connected to the manually movable portions may be motivated even though no coin is inserted, but such movement does not cause operation of the machine. rIhis arrangement, however, is very advantageous, for it obviates the likelihood of damage that might be caused by an attempt to force operation which might rcsult if the manually operable portions were locked against movement. It is also manifest that the device is so arranged that the coin is moved from operating position after one operation, and in this manner, repetitions operation from the same coin is prevented. Various kinds of indicia may be associated with the indicating devices, and this indicia, for example, may be in the form of answers to questions, and by reason of the fact that the operator will have no previous knowledge of the manner of operation. it is manifest that amusement will be provided by the device, for the operated indicating device will indicate indicia intended to answer the propounded question. Since the indicating devices are sequentially operated, but preferably not successively operated, it is manifest that the machine will be highly amusing.

lVhile I have illustrated and described a selected embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this is capable of variation and modification, and I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to ava-il myself of such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the following claims:

Y I claim:

l. In a coin-controlled amusement machine which has a plurality of indicating devices having indicia associated therewith, the combination therewith of means for operating said indicating devices whereby attention may be attracted to the indicia associated with the operated of the devices, said operating means including a manually movable coin chute, an operated portion, and means for lat-ching said operated portion when it is moved into a predetermined positionv by engagement thereof with a coin in said coin chute and upon movement of the coin chute from normal position and for re leasing said operated portion when said coin chute moves back into normal position.

2. In a coin-controlled amusement machine which has a plurality of indicating devices having indicia associated therewith, the combination therewith of means for operating said indicating devices whereby attention may be attracted to the indicia asso-V ciated with the operated of the devices, said operating means including a manually movable coin chute, an operated portion, means for latching said operated portion when it is moved into a predetermined position by engagement thereof with a coin in said coin chute and upon movement of the coin chute from normal position and for releasing said operated portion when said coin chute moves back into normal position, and means for moving a coin from said coin chute upon movement of said chute back into normal position after it has been moved to effect latching of said operated portion.

'3. In a coin-controlled amusement 1nachine which has a plurality of indicating devices havingindicia associated therewith, the combination therewith of means for operating said indicating devices whereby attention may be attracted to the indicia associated with the operated of the devices, a manually movable coin chute having a bifurcation at the lower end thereof, an operated portion including an arm aligned with said bifurcation whereby when a coin moves through said coin chute into position over said bifurcation said arm is engaged by said coin so that upon movement of said coin chute said operated portion is moved therewith,

of aligned with the opening in said coinY chute, movement-receiving means, means carried by the rocker for imparting movement to said movement-receiving means When said coin chute is moved and said portion is prevented from moving through said opening by the positioning of a coin on said coini'eceiving portion, and means for latching said rocker in a predetermined position upon movement thereof with said coin chute when said chute is moved from normal position and for releasing said rocker when said coin chute moves back into said normal position.

5. An operatingmechanism for an amusement machine oi' the like including a manually movable rocker having an opening therein and a coin-receiving portion above said opening, an operating rocker having a member thereon aligned with said opening, circuitcontrolling means, means on said operating rocker for operating` said circuit-controlling means when said operating rocker is moved upon operation of said manually movable rocker and when the opening therein is closed by a coin on said coin-receiving portion to thus interconnect said member and said manually movable rocker, latching means for holding said opeiat-ing rocker When it is moved by said manually movable rocker, and means on said manually movable rocker for unlatching said operating rocker.

G. A coin-controlled operating mechanism for an amusement machine or the like including a. manually movable rocker having a bifurcation therein adapted to be closed by a coin inserted into the mechanism, an operating rocker including an arm aligned with said bifurcation and engageable with a coin disposed thereover, a plurality of contacts, a Contact member movable into engagement With each of said contacts, means for moving said contact member, and means on said operating rocker for operating the moving means when said operating rocker is motivated by engagement of the arm thereon with a coin disposed over said bifurcation and upon movement of said manually movable rocker.

7. A coin-controlled operating mechanism for an amusement machine or the like including a. manually movable rocker having a bifurcation therein adapted to be closed by a coin inserted into the mechanism, an oper-- ating rocker including an arm aligned with said bifurcation and engageable With a coin disposed thereover, a plurality of contacts, a contact member movable into engagement with each of said contacts, means for moving said contact member, means` on said v'operating rocker for operating the moving meanS-Whensaid operating rocker is motivated by engagement of the arm thereon With a coin disposed over said bifurcation and upon movement of said manually movable rocker, switch means in series with said contacts and Contact member, and means on said operating rocker for operating said switch means upon operation of the operating rocker.

8. A coin-controlled operating mechanism for an amusement machine or the like including a manually movable rocker having a bifurcation therein adapted to be closed by a coin inserted into the mechanism, an operating rocker including an arm aligned WithY said bifurcation and engageable with a coin disposed thereover, a plurality of contacts, a contact member movable into engagement With each of said contacts, means for moving said contact member, means on said 0perating rocker for operating the moving means When said operating rocker is motivat-ed by engagement of the arm thereon with a coin disposed over said bifurcation and upon movement of said manually movable rocker, means for latching said operating rocker after movement thereof from inoperative position, and means for unlatching said operating rocker after engagement of said contact member With one of said Contacts.

9. A coin-controlled operating mechanism for an amusement machine or tli-e like including a manually movable rocker having a bifurcation therein adapted to be closed by a coin inserted into the mechanism, an operating rocker including an arm aligned with said bifurcation and engageable With a coin disposed thereover, a plurality of contacts, a contact member movable into engagement With each of said contacts, means for movingv said contact member, means on said operating rocker for operating` the moving means When said operating rocker is motivated by engagement of the arm thereon With a coin disposed over said bifurcation and upon movement of said manually movable rocker, and means for moving said coin from position over said bifurcation, said means being movable With said operating rocker.

l0. A coin-controlled operating mechanism for an amusement machine or the like including a manually movable rocker hav- `ing a. bifurcation therein adapted to be closed by a coin inserted into the mechanism, an operating rocker including an arm aligned ith said bifurcation and engageable with a coin disposed thereover, a plurality of consaid manually movable rocker, means for positioning said coin over said bifurcation and for moving saidl coin from said position, and means carried by said operating rocker for controlling operation of said last-named i JOHN F. MEYER. 

